Hi! I've been infected in december 2003 and was tested 14th of january 2004. My VL was over 11 000 000 and my CD4 were at 120. After reading questions and answers on this site, I started really worry, since it is considered very high! Today, I got new partial results and my CD4 are at 310 (don't know the new VL right now). I did'nt take any therapy yet, and most of the symptoms I have from primo-infection are gone. My doctor says that 11 000 000 does not say anything right now, and that I should wait for my body to stabilize before making the numbers say anything. He doesn't recommand treatment right away since he heard that starting early treatment has not as much good effect as the specialists thought before. What do you think? Does the VL mean bad news right now? Or should I wait?

Response from Dr. Pierone

It is true that the viral load may be extremely high during acute HIV infection. As the immune response against the virus kicks in, the viral load often comes down quickly. We don't know whether prompt treatment of HIV is beneficial, although some observational studies suggest that it might be. Longer term follow up on patients treated early have not been so encouraging. See this link for coverage at recent Retrovirus meeting.

You should see at what levels your viral load and CD4 count stabilize at and then make treatment decisions based on general treatment guidelines. Good luck and let us know how things go.

This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.

Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.